The field of the invention is combined alarm systems and window covering assemblies.
There are a number of combined alarm systems and window covering assemblies which have been proposed. These combined alarm systems and window covering assemblies include a blind assembly which has a taut trip element which sets off an alarm device if the blind assembly is moved, a screen mesh has a conductive wire which is mechanically thereto and which actuates an alarm device if the conductive wire is cut or shorted or subjected to a physical force, a window grille which defines an electrical capacitance field which is distorted to set off an alarm device upon the physical deformation of the window grille by an attempted intrusion, either a combined alarm system and roller-blind assembly or a combined alarm system and roller-screen assembly which, when raised, actuates an alarm device, and various types of other mechanical or magnetic switching arrangements which are actuated to set off an alarm device when an unauthorized attempt is made to open either a barrier or a window.
In general, however, the known combined alarm systems and window covering assemblies are not entirely satisfactory for one or more of the following reasons. Some of these combined alarm systems and window covering assemblies do not provide for convenient arrangements for opening the barrier and disabling the alarm device by an authorized user. Other combined alarm systems and window covering assemblies are of complicated and therefore expensive constructions. Most combined alarm systems and window covering assemblies are of unpleasant external appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,972 teaches a combined alarm system and blind assembly which includes a magnetic reed switch which is normally open and which is mounted on the bottom of a bottom railing. A magnet is mounted in a window sill to hold the magnetic reed switch normally closed when the combined alarm system and blind assembly is in its normal position. When the magnetic reed switch moves away from the magnet the magnetic reed switch opens.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,320 teaches a combined alarm system and blind assembly which includes a plurality of slats which may be compacted to open the combined alarm system and blind assembly. The slats are supported by flexible cords which include electrical conductors establishing an electrically-conductive pathway through the length of the window blind. The lower end of the combined alarm system and blind assembly carries a retaining mechanism which retains the combined blind assembly and burglar alarm in its closed position. A circuit-interrupting mechanism is effective when the combined alarm system and blind assembly is raised or severed to actuate an alarm device. The retaining mechanism and the circuit interrupting mechanism include magnetic retainer elements which are adapted to actuate magnetic reed switches which are carried at the lower ends of the combined alarm system and blind assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,070 teaches a blind assembly in which a string ladder support system on each side supports the individual slats. A main pull string at each ladder support system extends down through holes in each slat to a bottom rail where it is attached. The main pull string goes through the top housing and down over a roller so that the main pull string can raise and lower the blind assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,243 teaches a blind assembly which has a lift cord lock. U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,970 teaches a cord lock unit for use in a blind assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,612 teaches a cord lock for a blind assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,644 teaches a bracket which releasably secures a channel section head-rail of blind assembly to a wall. U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,459 teaches a bracket for use with a blind assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,383 teaches a cord lock for locking a blind assembly in its raised position only. U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,113 teaches a blind assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,909 teaches a cord lock for a blind assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,468 teaches a tilting mechanism. U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,644 teaches a first tilting mechanism which includes a tilt rod, a cap which is mounted to one end of the head and which includes a bushing, a sleeve which is connected to the tilt rod and which is rotatably supported in the bushing, and a worm gear which is located within the cap and which is connected to the sleeve, and a worm on a shaft which is accessible from outside the cap and which is operatively connected to the worm gear for rotating the worm gear by means of a wand. U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,644 also teaches a second tilting mechanism which includes a sprocket wheel and a bead chain. U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,673 teaches a tilting mechanism for a blind assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,193 teaches a venetian blind assembly which includes a headrail, a series of horizontal tiltable slats and a bottom rail.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,630 teaches a tilt mechanism for monocontrol Venetian blinds uses band brakes to the ends of which the ladder cords are attached. The weight of the blind provides the tightening forces to cause the band brakes to grip the rotating control rod and rotate the slats to open and close the blind. Stops loosen the band brakes allowing further rotation for raising or lowering of the blind to take place with a minimum of torque.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,990 teaches an apparatus for automatically moving a set of venetian blinds between open or closed positions in response to sensing a predetermined level of solar energy imposed on the window across which the venetian blinds are to be disposed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,012 teaches a capstan based system for pulling and accumulating the pull-cords used to lift hanging window coverings from their bottoms. A cylindrical capstan is supported in bearings so that it is free to rotate and move axially. A splined connection to a holding device permits controlled rotation and locking of the capstan. Each of one or more cords is attached to the capstan by means of a clip which can be easily positioned to adjust the position and length of its cord. As the capstan is turned, the cords wind onto the capstan in a single layer due to the camming action of a specially configured camming surface. The capstan begins to move laterally when sufficient friction has developed between the capstan and the cord which has been wound onto it. This provides space for the cord to wind onto the capstan in a single layer. During unwinding of the cord, a guiding surface, over which the cord moves, pulls the capstan back toward its original position. The camming and guiding surfaces can be made symmetric so that bi-directional operation of the system is possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,109 teaches an accordion fold type decorative fabric drapery system which has a pair of drapery sections of decorative weave fabric sheets specially formed into sharply pleated accordion-like folds to provide a large number of vertically elongated narrow panels resembling in size the slats or louvers of a vertical blind system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,013 teaches a honeycomb structure which is formed of a continuous length of foldable material which is folded into a Z-configuration and which is stacked in layers which are adhered together. These layers form longitudinally extending cells, one on top of the other, of the honeycomb structure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,404 teaches a honeycomb product. U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,039 teaches a pleated shade in which there is a vacuum deposited aluminized surface. The first and second pleated sheets are arranged so that the corresponding aluminized surfaces face one another within the second pleated shade so that the second pleated shade has a significant resistance to heat loss or gain, if properly installed, and is decorative and distinctive in appearance. U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,776 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,210 teach a cord lock for a pleated shade. U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,656 teaches a pleated shade. U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,210 teaches a cord lock for a pleated shade.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,375 teaches a roll-up alarm screen assembly for use in a frame which has a first magnet disposed in its bottom portion and a second magnet disposed in its top portion. The roll-up alarm screen assembly includes an alarm screen and a roll-up mechanism which rolls the alarm screen up and down. The alarm screen includes a screen mesh and a conductive wire which is mechanically coupled to the screen mesh. The roll-up alarm screen assembly also includes a first magnetic coupler and a second magnetic coupler. The first magnetic coupler electrically couples severed ends of conductive wire when the first magnetic coupler is disposed adjacent to the first magnet. The second magnetic coupler electrically couples severed ends of conductive wire when the second magnetic coupler is mechanically coupled to the roll-up mechanism and is positioned so that the second magnetic coupler is disposed adjacent to the second magnet in order to detect any movement of either the roll-up mechanism or the screen mesh.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,632 teaches a combined alarm system and screen assembly which has mounting brackets at the corners and a pair of substantially rigid opposite end piece assemblies on which a screen mesh can be rolled up. At each corner a circuit closing mechanism acts between the bracket there and the adjacent end piece assembly to close circuit of an alarm device through electrical wiring in the screen only when that end piece assembly is held by the bracket. U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,194 teaches a roller screen unit. U.S. Pat. No. 3,911,990 teaches a window and screen combination.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,293 teaches a combined alarm system and screen assembly includes a frame and a screen mesh. The combined alarm system and screen assembly includes a continuous length of conductive wire which may be sewn, glued or interwoven onto the screen mesh in order to fix it in place and which provide a series circuit. U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,310, U.S. Pat. No. 3,051,935 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,000 all teach combined alarm system and screen assemblies in which the continuous length of conductive wire may be interwoven, glued by an air hardening process and/or sewn onto the screen mesh.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,875 teaches a security panel arrangement for use with an intrusion alarm system which is designed to monitor the continuity of a normally continuous signal conductive path and to produce a warning signal when the signal conductive path is broken, which arrangement includes a cellular panel forming a series of parallel elongated passages through which extends at least one means for conducting a signal. The cellular panel is attached to a surface portion of a structure to be secured, and the means for conducting a signal is connected at its two ends to the alarm system in a continuity monitoring relationship therewith. Passage of a human being through the surface portion breaks the continuity of the means for conducting a signal and causes the alarm system to produce the warning signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,778 teaches a partially conductive security screen arrangement for use with an intrusion alarm system designed to operate in a normally closed sensing circuit condition and to produce a warning signal when the sensing circuit is broken, which arrangement includes conductive means overlying and bonded to a mesh screen positionable to cover an opening in a building. The conductive means is connectible at its two ends to the sensing circuit in a series relationship with the remainder of that circuit. The conductive means is positioned on the screen in a configuration preventing passage of a human being through the screen unless the conductive means is severed. Passage of a human being through the opening while the screen is in position to cover the opening therefore breaks the sensing circuit to produce a warning signal. One or more electrical switches located within a frame at the periphery of the screen may also be connected in a series relationship with the remainder of the sensing circuit, the switches being adapted to close for the screen in position covering the opening in the building and to open for the screen moved out of that position. The conductive means may include a plurality of parallel longitudinal lengths of wire connected in series with each other and with one or more transverse lengths of wire. The respective lengths of wire may be mechanically interlocked with each other and with the mesh screen at the points of intersection therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,432 teaches a bi-directional clutch, particularly useful in window shade applications. The bi-directional clutch includes a first or core member and an unwrap spring, that is, a spring having an inside diameter somewhat smaller than the diameter of the core, the spring being wound around the core. The unwrap spring has a number of helical turns and spring tangs which extend outwardly past the circumference of the spring and generally perpendicular to the axis of the spring. The spring is controlled by a second, control or driving member which, when rotated, applies force to one or the other of the spring tangs to unwrap or loosen the spring, thereby allowing the spring to rotate relative to the core. As the spring rotates, one of the spring tangs abuts a third or driven member. The third or driven member is rotated by the spring, allowing the third member to rotate relative to the first or core member. The third or driven member continues to rotate, relative to the first or core member, until the second, control or driving member stops rotating. However, when the driven member is rotated directly, the spring is locked onto the core member and further rotation of the driven member is prevented.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,765 teaches a spring clutch which has multiple springs disposed between two coaxially mounted cylindrical elements. The springs are designed to slip so that all of the springs are required to support the maximum load. During the onset of rotation, tabs at the ends of the springs contact the load surfaces on one of the cylindrical elements sequentially, with some slippage occurring, so that impulse is reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,294 teaches a security system and strip or strand which incorporates an optical fiber wave-guide. To provide security against unauthorized crossing of a boundary, at least one optical fiber wave-guide extends along the boundary. Light is directed into one end of the optical fiber wave-guide and the light leaving the optical fiber wave-guide is detected by an optical detector. An indication is given when the optical intensity of the detected light falls below a predetermined threshold, so as to warn when the optical fiber wave-guide is disturbed significantly or cut through.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,460 teaches a transparent continuous optical fiber which is embedded in a transparent panel made of glass or plastic, with the two ends of the optical fiber accessible from outside the panel for coupling to a visible or invisible light source and detector respectively. By nearly matching the refractive indices of the panel and the optical fiber, and using good-quality material for the fiber so that it does not scatter significant amounts of the light passing through it, the optical fiber can be made virtually invisible although it establishes a complete light circuit. Cutting or breaking through the panel at a point intersecting the optical fiber interrupts the light circuit and triggers an alarm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,855 teaches a security screen assembly which includes a screen of mesh material with an optical path formed from at least one optical fiber integrally interwoven with the screen material in a generally serpentine path. A light souce or transmitter is coupled to the first end of the optical path while a suitable light detector is coupled to detect light emitted from a second end of the optical path. An interface control unit connects the security screen assembly to a remote alarm control unit for activating an alarm if the detected light signal falls below a predetermined intensity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,608 teaches an electrically conductive security screen which includes an electrical resistance sensor and alarm to detect tampering with the screening material of a window. An elongated path of flexible and electrically conductive coating composition is applied to the screening material in a predetermined and non-overlapping pattern, such that a closed circuit loop is formed when it is attached to the sensor alarm. The coating has an electrical resistance that varies when it is distorted or its path interrupted.